This invention relates to a resilient, attachable tool cleaning mechanism.
Both manual and mechanical cleaning devices have been around for some time. A common problem when using a tool is the requirement to clean a tool periodically during use. A wide variety of construction tools, such as putty knives, spackling blades, and the like require periodic cleansing during use. Likewise, golfers, when practicing with golf clubs often hit many consecutive shots with a single club. Depending on the type of shot, it is not unusual for the golf club to collect dirt, grass, sand and the like after each swing. Serious golfers ensure that the golf club face is clean each time it is used so as to ensure that the golf club face imparts the correct spin, loft, and so forth to the golf ball when the ball is struck. As a result, historically, golfers carry golf towels for just this purpose, i.e. cleaning the club face in between uses.
The prior art discloses a variety of additional methods designed to address this particular problem. The Catania Pat., U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,577, discloses a rigid plate that is designed to be attached to the bottom of a golf shoe by screws. Once attached, the plate extends upwardly and away from the bottom of the golf shoe and is designed to hold a wiping element so as to enable a golfer to clean the club by a sweeping movement of the head against the device. Moultrie, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,589, discloses a golf club and a golf shoe cleaning brush that is attached to a golf bag at one end and to the brush at the other by a retractable, elastic cord. Hayes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,233, discloses a disposable golf club wiping patch designed to be attached to a golfer""s pants. The patch has a scouring material on one side and a removably attachable adhesive on the other. The adhesive side of the device is then directly attached to the pants so that the scouring material may be used by the golfer to clean the golf club face. Hage, U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,669, discloses a similar device which utilizes adhesive which is designed to be attached directly to a golf shoe. Norwell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,072, discloses a device for cleaning golf clubs in the form of a liquid dispenser with a brush attached to it that is attached to the golfer""s bag. The Debronsky, Jr., et al. Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,142, is directed to a more traditional, removably attachable golf club cleaning towel. Likewise, Beattie, U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,968, discloses a golf club towel sock designed to encompass the head of a golf club, as well as containing a pouch for cleaning, holding and dispensing a golf ball.
As A drawback to the tool/club cleaning devices known in the art is that they are time consuming and difficult to attach and, once attached, are not readily removable, and further, risk damaging the user""s clothing, pants, shoes and the like upon removal. A further drawback is that the devices require mechanical connections and are limited to a reasonable range of sizes and therefore, are not suitable or adapted for use with all sizes on the large and small end of a size scale. Thus, there is a need in the art for providing a resiliently attachable tool cleaning device that is easy to put on and take off, which does not damage the user, or the user""s clothing, during use or removal and which is useful with any size of object to which the cleaner is to be attached. It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide a resiliently attachable tool cleaning apparatus and method for simply and easily enabling the cleaning of a tool intermittently during tool use.
Accordingly, the resiliently attachable tool cleaning device of the present invention includes a support base. A cleaning surface is attached to the support base for cleaning a tool, club, or the like. Further, a resilient, expandable and contractable, attachment is connected to the support base for securing the support base in a desired location. In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning surface is a washable, bristle brush that is attached to the support base. The cleaning surface, bristle brush, may be removably attachable to Fe support base for cleaning, replacement and the like. Further, the support base is designed so that the cleaning surface, when attached, projects outwardly and faces downwardly so as to provide an outward facing downward angled cleaning surface for use with cleaning a tool, golf club, and the like. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the resilient, expandable and contractable, attachment is an expandable, contractable, elastic compression strap. In use, the expandable, contractable, elastic compression strap can be expanded to slip over a golfer""s shoe and then be released so as to be held in place. In another preferred embodiment, the elastic compression strap includes a first elastic compression strap section removably attachable to a second elastic compression strap section so that the tool cleaning apparatus can be attached and removed without having to be passed over the entire object to which it is to be attached.